Shiftwork, work scheduling and their impact upon operators in nuclear power plants

The author notes that the risk for operator error may increase during the night shift due to the influence from circadian rhythms, with variations in alertness and performance efficiency. The author considers some of the factors that have been shown to have a major impact on the adjustment to shiftwork at nuclear power plants, with particular emphasis on the design of the shift schedule. It is suggested that improvements in incident reporting systems and incident analyses may insure that the proper remedies are applied to problems associated with 24-hour operations. The existing body of knowledge from applied shiftwork research is considered in relation to present practices.<>